chubby
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Posts posted by chubby
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Im a million miles from being knowledgeable about such stuff . But , i am a very cynical person .
With my cynical head on i see this situation -: Boat is being surveyed for insurance purposes . If the steel is below Xmm then its going to be uninsurable( fully comp at least) , the customer is possibly " over a barrel " as they want to maintain thier insurance and will have the overplating done because the moment it goes back in the water its uninsured due to insufficient steel thickness ( unless 3rd party only )
. Can i also suggest that paying the surveyor in advance is not a good idea ( or anyone infact ) as it removes or could remove the drive to do thir job properly .....
A cynical git aren t i ?
if the surveyors a fat git , put a plate of chocolate hob nobs under the hull and he 'll be lured under .....
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i think " space " on a boat is a perception thing . A narrowboat is 7 ft wide & X ft Long . Always the same width & so to me its all about how you utilise the available interior space , howml much thought the layout has been given . So in a small GRP boat i expect the " use every last inch to its best " design mentality is in the designer / builder mind from the very beginning .
This mentality is also present on narrowboats , but maybe to a lesser extent ? I often see ads for narrowboats & i think to myself that the layout just looks wrong , that space hasn t been used as well as possible . Also on narrowboats the bulkheads dividing the boat into rooms or areas can create a sense of crampedness , whereas if designed open plan and with more thought a " feeling or sense "' of space can be created . People have walked thru my bow doors and gone " oh , how spacious is it in here ?" , whereas in reality of course my narrowboat is the exact same width as thiers is . Its just the fittings and layout have been thought out to enable a " sense " of space despite being only 6 ft wide inside . White painted ceilings , cream walls add to this .
I find my boat has never felt anything other than spacious and comfortable . I ve consider the idea of buying a new boat recently and may well yet do so but i think ill really struggle to find an interior layout that feels as " right " as my current boat and so may well just keep this one and spend money doing it up instead .
So , to me " space " is a conceptual thing - narrowboats are no more tjan 6 ft wide inside , but what you do with that space can be the difference between it feeling comfy or cramped . Ive seen 35-40 footers that look more comfy than 60 footers & thats achieved by thinking a bit harder .
cheers
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Wow
Its not far off rocket science going for a dump it seems in the 21st century . I thought composting toilets were " high tech " enough. Personally ,i like the simple life and so i use a cassette type toilet .
Initially there was a sizeable " investment " of some £60 and i find i spend an astonishing sum of around £ 0 - 5 per month on emptying it . It is something of a financial burden , which i have no choice but to tolerate , though having said that i don t keep accurate accounts for my elsan disposal costs so infact i might be spending more . Its a dear do at £1.50 a time at my local marina .
If had thousands of spare pounds kicking around im fairly confident id find something more worthwhile to spend my money on than a toilet , but thats just me - im a bit weird like that .
Still , each to thier own . This all sounds a bit like that chap who is currently reinventing the propeller on another boat . Who'd have thought the cut was such a hotbed of scientific research & progress ?
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When i read this thread yesterday , these were my initial thoughts too . Im inexperienced in such matters so kept out but i also think that from here the way forward has got be to get your boat back , do some intensive homework , & get some paint on by yourselves . Once done you can then look to book another professional painter in 18 - 24 months time maybe .
Im hoping to do a DIY repaint towards the end of the summer and im looking into a paint called Tractol . I think doing it yourselves will enable you to get out boating and still get something from this summer , protect the boat at mimimal extra cost & allow you to " move on " mentally from this huge let down .
Just my thoughts , i hope it all gets sorted as it sounds like a mare
cheers
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23 minutes ago, Ray T said:
I suppose you could add empty water cans, mops, Roses and castles paint work etc... Why not just paint a boat all blue, black, green etc. don't need all the silly coach lines?
I have an avid interest in the history of our canals and to me these items are a "nod" to our rich history and heritage in which interest is rapidly declining as nowadays it seems many just want their floating cottage. The barrel actually has been the catalyst for many an interesting conversation. Usually begins with "What (select your own brew) you got in there then?"
I would admit to finding them just on the wrong side of " twee " . Same for cans and mops but to a lesser extent and can entirely see how they would be appropriate on the right sort of boat . Roses and Castles , i love to bits and a very attractive " nod " to the canals heritage .
BUT . I just don t get those barrels . To me ( opinion !) theyre a bit much .
So , genuine question : Were they common on working boats ?
Despite my dislike of them , i very much admire folk who own such boats as might display them & very much admire the boats themselves & ive found myself hankering after a boat with old engine & back cabin , though not an ex working boat , but now is not the time for me to sort that situation out just yet .
My original comments weren t meant as offensive , i just don t get what theyre about .
cheers
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Barrels on the roof . Pretty , painted barrels full of bugger all . What are they all about ?
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I rubbed down the panels to give a key . Then a couple of coats of primer ( zinnser ?? something like this ) and then two coats of dulux but a " toughened " version . I re topcoat every summer but i ll do a panel at a time over several weeks so its not really a chore - infact i enjoy it .
As said above its all about the prep and my paint has never chipped off in four years . Do it right and you ll have few probs . Cut corners and it may well become a mare in the future .
cheers
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It can be done . I manage to do it only because im very very basic . But thats because tho my boat is my home , i just don t need all the technological " fluff " that many others do .
I watch no TV - tho i do watch occasional DVDs , i have no computer except for an iphone , no big washing machine , tumble dryer , no Xbox . Infact i have virtually sod all . But thats how i like it - simple , less is more etc & im on my todd .
Other folk will want and need more " stuff " and thats of course entirely fine and will mean that thier electrical needs are greater and so recharging used 12 V batts or using a genny is necessary , but for me and my attitude to " stuff" its not necessary .
I would say that my usage is probably in the minority .
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1 hour ago, Chewbacka said:
I think this claim would leave them open to challenge - "1000w solar with MTTP controllers - never have to run the engine for power" and this "1000w of solar power provides all the electricity you'll need. " even in December?????
I live on my boat all year round , i have 400 w of solar & a 40 A Tracer controller . Fitted in April 2014 .
Since fitting i have never once ran my engine solely for the purpose of charging batts or making hot water . Im moored up most of the time and have no shore line 240 V . Hot water is from an eberspatcher . Fridge turned off from October to March .
However - im cautious about my power needs and im also a very low key , low tech chap . At this time of year i run all the 240V stuff i want via an inverter to operate a twin tub & a small dyson vac . I havent looked at a TV on the boat since the end of the last world cup in summer 2014 .
In winter im cautious about my 240 V usage and always check my smartgauge as to check my batts ( 4 years old ) . So basically i use as i please in summer and im careful thru winter .
In winter i ll go for short cruises over several days which does of course charge batts and provide hot water but i dont run the engine at my mooring for that purpose . Last winter due to studying i was able to go cruising much less than normal but i got by no problem at all .
Having said this its worth noting that im on the boat by myself . No big power concerns , no big widescreen TV , in winter no fridge . All very basic - because i like living this simplistic way . This boat appears to be aimed at the " london dreamer " of which there many . No doubt the boat description will involve the words " stunning " & " bespoke " & its interior will be painted in " london narrowboat white " & have one of those silly bathroom sinks with a " waterfall " tap and Ikea or cooke & lewis kitchen cabinets etc etc . Im GUESSING that the seller is expecting a london dreamer to buy it based on the likelihood ( i haven t looked on the actual ad yet ) that its more like a flat ( i mean luxury apartment - no one build flats in London anymore ...) than a boat .
Therefore i suspect that such a buyer MAY not be aware that living afloat will mean having to make considerations about power usage before just using such power thoughtlessly like in a house .
So , you can ( i can rather ...) get by on 1000 w of solar , but i would suggest the " market " the seller is aiming at may find this less straightforward .
Im going to find the ad now ......
cheers
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My thoughts
Completly inexperienced in such hull protection so my suggestion is not a technical one as such .
If paying Debdale to carry out your preferred method is no problem and that method is the one you think best for your boat long term would it be worth considering just getting the boat blacked in bitumen DIY , putting as many coats as possible over and over whilst the boat is being fitted out . Get it in the water , go and enjoy it and in the meantime book Debdale , pay the deposit and relax knowing that what you have applied to the boat is temporary and ( i think ?) largely sufficient until Debdale can do it ?
Just a thought that will get you on the water and you will also have peace of mind knowing that your preferred option is booked?
No headaches trying to figure out which 2 pack solution is best , no having to organise a " blacking party " to get the stuff on asap , bitumen will be very much cheaper & easier and in 2.5 years time you can have the expensive but probable best solution applied ?
cheers
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Just to sum up my post quoted above . The point is that i did not care if he was hurt . I did not care if they were in pain . They deserved thier discomfort because they had brought it on themselves by being irresponsible. My ability to feel sorry for them was non existent. . I m quite " hard " emotionally, perhaps " cold " if you like . Where others might feel sorry for him i was indifferent as he had not thought about what his actions might do to someone elses wellbeing or safety - maybe after they got home a lesson was learnt ? I hope so and maybe they think a bit harder in future .
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I ran my cables through the furthest rear mushroom vent . I had to take apart my ceiling to then pass the cable back thru into the engine room of a modern style trad . Pulling apart my ceiling was the most daunting part of the installation but in the end it was a doddle and saved me alot of hassle fitting waterproof glands etc . The panels were then fitted above the mushroom vent and its completely waterproof. From vent to engine room was about 5 ft so not much ceiling to dismantle though . Had the job involved taking down lots of ceiling i wouldn t have tried .
cheers
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But he was going too fast . I heard the bike sliding across the gravel as the brakes were applied followed by the thud as he hit the cabin sides . Im not usually indifferent to other people in pain but this guy I didn't feel like helping as
he didn't appear to have given any consideration to anyones wellbeing. The towpath by my boat is not smooth like a city road it is potholed and broken up and so he was being irresponsible in my opinion. If youre uncertain then slow down . I cycle several times a week and the amount of dangerous, selfish or just plain stupid behaviour i see staggers me .
Anyway , perhaps this guy learnt the hard way to slow down - it could just as easily have been a pedestrian or a pet dog instead .
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i couldnt care less . The guy was going too fast . He hit my boat . It hurt him . Serves him right because if you dont go so fast you remain in control and consequently you dont get hurt do you . He might not have hit my boat , instead he might have hit someone else which wouldve hurt the pedestrian much more . So im afraid i had no sympathy for them . It was thier own fault . I couldn't be bothered to help such a person.
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I had a cyclist come off his bike and he hit my boat with an almighty whack so he must've been doing a fair speed . I'd just started a nice cup of tea and though i heard him outside groaning in pain next to my boat i thought to myself " Fuck him " .
I swear to God if he d gone in the cut id have left him to drown . It was dark and no one else would've seen him .Not BECAUSE he is a cyclist ( i too am a cyclist) but because he was clearly an inconsiderate wanker with no regard for anyone elses safety or property ( peoples boats moored ) .
After about 5 mins of groaning & wincing he got up and i heard him brushing off the dirt & gravel and the clip clop of his cycling shoes as he walked off - maybe he d damaged his bike . Who knows , who cares ?
Nice cuppa it was - i wasnt gonna let it go cold to help him .
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My understanding is they ask a different group of boaters each year . Surely if u want to compare last years results with this results you need to ask the SAME people in order to establish if satisfaction has increased or decreased otherwise it's meaningless.
Though I appreciate they need to ask different folk each year you cannot compare 2016 results with 2017 results as they're different people with different ideas of what constitutes " satisfied " .
Strangely i didn't bother to do mine on when it came thru as i had an overwhelming belief that somehow the results would demonstrate an increase in satisfaction.
Im not CRT bashing but again i find myself simply unable to take any notice of the PR machine
Yours cynically
Chubby
ETA : I left out the word " not " in my last sentence and edited this post to add it
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Its a wierd one innit . I should feels sorry for them but i just cannot . That sum of money would set me up for life and many other folk too i expect . I find it utterly beyond comprehension that people can be so thoroughly dopey as to hand over such sums without making sure everything is as it should be .
Surely one can get legal advice as to the " status " of the planned transaction . If not then you re gambling . If youre even remotely uncertain you walk .
Its like Tim nice but dim versus the bloke who owns the shop " i saw you coming " on Harry & Paul . Both Harry Enfield characters.
It all absolutely staggers me in nation and a world where most struggle to get by or struggle and become successful & well off that there are tossers like the buyer who appear to have little idea about how fortunate they are .
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Good Grief
My heart bleeds for the fuckwit millionaires . Dreamers with too many zeros on the end of thier bank balances . I find myself concerned as to where theyre going to keep thier piano . Traumatised indeed !
Is this legal case classified as Bellend V Bellend as the buyers and the seller both would seem to be at fault but ultimately i should imagine greater responsibility lies with the folk parting with huge sums of money as opposed to the person taking it .
How on earth can someone part with such sums without getting all the legal i s dotted and t s crossed ? No one deserves to be fleeced but i find myself unable to feel overly sorry for them but i hope some agreement is reached .
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Tara
Are from the United States ? I notice that in your OP you refer to " Living in London , UK "' . Weirdly , most folk on this forum will be aware of its geographical location . It seems to be one of those US " news " channel abominations.
. I seem to remember a Bill Bryson book commenting on this practice and being embarrassed by it . Also as it is indeed part of the UK its winters and the amount if light available during them is much the same as elsewhere in the UK .
Meanwhile , back on topic .
I have a 58 ft narrowboat . I wouldnt put panels of your sizes on my boat . For me theyre too big . Though im sure many other boaters would fit them .
I have 4x100 W panels . These are fitted into self made frames that are formed using decking planks . This ensures that all the panels are level and even . It works well and has been on my roof 4 years .
In winter i run no generator . I detest them , for me they the work of the devil . My entire electrical needs are met by solar all year round .
HOWEVER- i use electricity from my 4x 110 ah battery bank in different ways at different times of year . In winter i do not run a fridge . Its cold outside and by shopping for food wisely , a fridge becomes not necessary ( for me - its an opinion ) .
With such a small boat i think u would be wise to spend the summer asking yourself " what can i do to minimise my electrical consumption in winter when solar is less reliable " ?
Fridge off ( this single bit of kit is probably the single most power hungry item onboard ) LED lighting . Charge computers etc at work , at coffee shops etc etc . All of these little alterations will help .
Where on earth do u store a genny & its petrol on such a small boat ? I cannot imagine where that would be done safely . Do not underestimate the dangers with such equipment .
For me , its all about making adjustments. If one is minted and has a big boat then its possible to make the boat fit around the owners " wants & needs " . If the boat is small and its owner is not minted then instead of altering the boat you have to alter your own " wants and needs " . Get it wrong and you ll be changing batteries regularly - an expensive chore .
Once you have your panels fitted you need to monitor the " health " of your batteries . I use a " smartgauge " to do this . Its simple to fit and to operate . It instantly tells me how my batteries are doing . In winter i use its readings to judge my battery power consumption so that i do not over use thier capacity . Not cheap , but not onerous neither at around £125 . I would not be without one personally though other models and makes are available.
You have the summer to fit such equipment and get used to it before winter arrives and by that time you are likely to be more aware of the thing you can do to keep your boat & batteries functional . But it is likely that YOU will need to think hard about what steps you can take to enable the batteries to provide for thru the winter .
cheers
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1 hour ago, Matt&Jo said:
Chubby thank you for a much more civalised reply with regards to my drive to live on the canals. My friends are not the ones who only travel 20 miles its a documentary i have watched that illudes to this that people are doing 50 miles plus and being sent letters and denials for winter moorings from the crt. Yes 50 miles is not alot but its adgering to tge rules is it not......
I will not be cc i will be paying for a mooring and traveling from a base location whatever the costs but i was suprised perhaps naively to see these prices as i pay alot to keep my salt water vessel in a marina also but i expected a slightly lesser fee for some reason.
I also stand by my position that agressive and attacking stance with people starting out will do you no favours so perhaps refrain from commenting on newbies trying to make a life change instead of degrading and disheartening them. I assume you were not born on the canals.... well you started somewere too and i hooe you got the time of day from others just as i have.
As for hard work..... 1 tour of iraq and 1 tour of afghan and a mortgage paid means i know how to work hard!!!!
Again Fair Enough
Hopefully you will go on to embrace boating and all its benefits . If so you will find it very worthwhile & it can go some way to rebalancing your work / life outlook . Its good that it is not your friends who' ve given any advice re 20 miles .
If as you say youre 33 and without excessive bills and financial ties then you re pretty much in ideal position to go about doing what you hope to . Therefore go for it , lifes too short to look back at regrets . I wish you well and hope it provides some level of " escape " or peace & that it helps with coming to terms with your loved ones health concerns .
As for my comments re hard work . It seems i was incorrect & you indeed do know the meaning of hard work more so than i ever will . For my poor judgement i apologise unreservedly.
Good luck
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6 hours ago, Matt&Jo said:I dont like hard work? Chubby you make this assumption because you see me trying to go part time and take things easier.
But you dont know why we want to escape the 9-5 inner city bull.
You dont know that last year my wife was diagnosed with a life changing ilness and we need to make the best of the now as we dont know for sure what is coming later.
You dont know that my sibbling has an ilness that they wont come back from so stick your jumped up comments up your tail pipe pal. 1 shot at life and im gunna live it how i want
This is not a dream this is a chance so pipe down unless you have something constructive to say. Your not the only one who deserves access to the water ways.
Most on this forum have been very helpfull but their are a few people who hate the idea of other adjusting to life on the canals. Its not a hardship to own a car and CC or travel 20+ miles a year, you can easily do 10miles a day but i know of people who stick to the rules and still get letters......yes thats right i know people living the lifestyle....... im getting my head around the practicalities as they are normaly far from the facts. I know CC is difficult hence looking and speaking with marinas......yes im suprised by costs but only from a pure financial aspect in order to make this work.
I dont feel bad about renting out a house and why should i.....im sure it funds other boaters life styles.
I keep hearing the boating community is so close and friendly...well chubby i dont wanna be anywhere near you......
Ok
Fair enough . Firstly i am sorry to hear of your personal circumstances and understand how these can lead to a shift of focus as to what is important & whats is less so . I had a similar awakening myself in my mid twenties .
However
My response was to the information contained within your posts prior to your latest one quoted above . I stand by all of it . Go back and read what have written previously and you will see that my reply addresses only the matters that you bring up .
Whether its accurate or not your posts do appear contradictory - whinging about marina costs who set thier fees according to market forces as will you as a landlord . If you fail to see the hippocracy then so be it . There is nothing wrong with renting out a property to fund a lifestyle choice and as you suggest , there are probably several on this forum and many more away from it who benefit from it . But they dont appear to be moaning about marina costs and are therefore not being contradictory as you yourself are .
You state above that its easy to travel 20 plus miles per year and its no hardship to have a car . But you are not talking about genuinely CCing with a car youre talking about shuffling around a bit with a car .
If the friends you have who are " following the rules but still getting letters from CRT " have given you the idea ( maybe they did , maybe not - i dunno ) that 20 miles distance is sufficient to comply with the very simple & not very onerous rules then i am not surprised that they are being reminded of thier obligations as they are not meeting them currently .
IF that figure came your friends then id think twice about taking much more notice of them to be honest . If im brutally honest the fact that you have brought up this figure of " 20 miles " will make it apparent to some that your intention may well be not to " cruise " but instead to just mooch up and down a familiar stretch . I dont think anyone else has used the 20 mile figure and the fact you have speaks volumes . Maybe you will go on to do more - many more and if you are genuinely looking to have a " boating lifestyle " you will want to .
If you really want to go boating , grab life by the throat and make the most of now following your loved ones illness then that is to be commended and you should move heaven and earth to make it happen . Its not really gonna happen mincing around on the K&A though is it ?
By all means get a boat and spread your wings - go boating , further & further afield and immerse yourself in lifestyle thoroughly as a way of not only coming to terms with the family issues but as a way making the most of your precious time . If you can afford to do it then do it and do it soon .
But - i do stand by my criticisms which were based on the info from the posts you made before my reply and with respect you do come across from them , as so many do like a dreamer . As also stated - this kind of thing comes up very very often .
Again , im sorry to hear that ill health has caused a wake up call that you are attempting to address . It is far from the ideal way to realise theres more to life than 9-5 & big salaries and if your enquiries are genuine then i wish you all the best with your endeavours but if you just wanna drift up & down the K&A 20 miles and back then you have to expect a bit of criticism . I hope you choose not to do so and instead go much further afield and make the most of the boat , the canal network ,& more importantly the time you have that misfortune has made you realise is so precious .
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I dont get it .
You have a house . You are young . But you want to semi retire . Sell your home , buy a boat as a home - not as a boat , & then buy to let so some other poor bastard can fund your semi retired " lifestyle choice " .You want to escape the rat race whilst renting out your " spare property " . This means you re not escaping the rat race , youre just pretending to . You ll rent out your spare property for as much as you can make according to the market . The market rate is determined by supply & demand . Yet you whinge that your preferred marina is £600 p/m . I wonder why its so costly ? Could it be supply & demand possibly ?
You ask " why cannot CCing be made easier ? To stay within " The Rules " you move the boat somewhere else every 14 days " . How much easier would you like it to be ?
Where will park our car ? Answer - in the places you park it now ... on the road ! In a car park ! Of course you will have no drive or dedicated parking space of your own ( unless you choose to accept the same market forces as your tenant , get a marina mooring which may have car parking ) so u need to apply a bit of forethought to such things and plan your boating movements to allow for car access . Sounds like a chore to me , but you want a car so you need to find a way . Maybe the dept for transport should make it easier too just like you want CRT to make things easier for you .
At several points you have replied quite sharply alluding to " being well off " .or " millionaires " Not necessarily accurate in my estimation . People who love thier boats , the canals & the life it can offer to those genuinely interested will / may often go without in other areas of thier lives . So they wont be well off , they just want to be on the water above all else and they make it work however hard & however costly . It is , for many , a genuine lifestyle choice .
You seem to want to have your cake & eat it . You want to rent but whinge about mooring fees , you want easy access to cars , you want CRT to make it easy for you ( it already is - if u researched properly you d know that already ) , you want to base yourself on a very popular busy canal . Want , want , want . Take take take .
It all sounds to me like " investment " as opposed to a genuine lifestyle choice . Sell big house , buy little house , rent it , buy widebeam boat as a house as its cheaper innit ( questionable ?) , and semi retire at 33 , whilst someone else knocks themselves out to pay the rent . Doesnt sound like any escape of the rat race to me . Just sounds like the same race but a different track .
If you wanna make it work you can . If you think its gonna be cheaper , it can be . It can also turn out to be financially exorbitant , buying , mooring ( if needed ) , maintaining and fixing a boat . If you need the car you ll find a way etc etc . This will all likely be hard work .. which it seems you don t like . But if you genuinely want to live onboard you will make it work and accept the occasional annoyance and discomfort .
Personally to me it all sounds like the increasingly common pie in the sky . As soon as i read in a thread the word " dream " my heart sinks . Usually that dream is a recent one & more and more folk seem to having the same dream . Rose tinted spectacles must be flying off the shelves at spec savers .
All of the above is very cynical isn t it ? Unfortnuately this is because this type of question is wearyingly common and often from folk who ve no interest in boats , canals , history , heritage but are instead " investors " & " dreamers " - such as yourselves .
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Wotevers advice about is 100% spot on . You could spend an awful lot of time , money & effort building your " ideal " boat only to find that your theoretical idea of ideal is different from the real world idea of ideal .
The simple truth is , although it may sound a little patronising ( its not meant that way ) , is that without practical experience you simply are unaware of what works and what doesn t .
As Wotever correctly and wisely suggests it would be better to consider buying a second hand ( not pre loved or some other BS modern turn of phrase ) boat in what you think constitutes ideal and making adjustments as necessary . You may even find that your ideas change completely .
Get it wrong on a sailaway and you may find you are the owner of an expensive and time consuming boat that infact doesn t suit your needs and that would be at best annoying and at worst thoroughly depressing .
Consider a second hand boat and go looking at as many boats as you can but look at boats that fit your current ideas of " right " but also look at boats that you would currently think of as " wrong " - you may find that your plans change - only looking at real interiors and layouts in the flesh will confirm your plans
cheers
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Personally i cannot understand the appeal of reverse layout . My 58 ft trad ( modern ) is standard layout . Bow , saloon , kitchen , bathroom , bed . I go in & out via the bow doors . I have carpets up to the bow doors but if i was concerned about muddy shoes etc ( i never wear outdoor shoes inside the boat - theyre removed on the step as i enter )i would fit about 3 foot of vinyl flooring before the doors and then carpet .
On a fine summers day the doors are wide open & i can slouch on the settee listening to birds singing and genearl peace n quiet which is nice , but on a reverse layout the saloon is halfway along the boat and a side hatch may be your only way of allowing the outside world in - not for me at all im afraid .
Also by having my saloon at the front it means that if i run my engine whilst stationary ( i don t do this but many folk do ) then i am sat as far from then engine noise as possible .
Bringing coal indoors in winter is easy as stove is next to bow doors so no having to heave it thru the boat etc .
For me these are the major advantages of standard layout . As long as u use the bow doors as your entrance / exit and not the awkward rear doors ( awkward often on a " modern " trad stern ) then its about as ideal as it can be IMO .
cheers
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Wide beam envy?
in Living Afloat
Posted · Edited by chubby
I dont like widebeam narrowboats . I think they are ugly . Proper dutch barges etc are things of beauty though .
How anyone can look at at a WBNB and think it attractive is beyond me . It may have more space and a poncey bathroom and kitchen but to me , it has no " soul " because its been built as a cottage that floats , rather than a boat thats been fitted out nicely & thoughtfully . Accomodation first & boat second .
BUT , though i detest the boat itself i would find it difficult to instantly dislike the owner on that basis . They may well be a tit but theres plenty of those narrowboats too .
I appreciate they have more space etc , but its only worth having if you " need " lots of stuff . Id rather go without as most of it probably isn t needed . My small and inferior NB requires me to be thoughtful about posessions , about space , about functionality , about power usage , & all this adds to my completely loving living on a boat , as opposed to being an annoyance i must tolerate due to lack of space , and though i could own a small attractive dutch barge - a WBNB i could never own .as theyre (IMO) soulless boxes that float , not a " boat " .
Just idle thoughts ...